Mark vs Onjeh: Find out why election won't hold February 13

Written By Idoma Television on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 | 6:54:00 AM

The Independent Electoral Commission has fixed February 20 for the Benue South senatorial rerun election.

The electoral umpire said the widely acclaimed February 13 date didn't come from then.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Prof. Istifanus Dafwang disclosed that the rerun will hold February 20.

He made disclosure on Tuesday during the IPAC/INEC interactive session held ahead of the election.

Dafwang also revealed that all non-sensitive materials had already been put in place while sensitive materials were being prepared to meet up with the date. He assured of the availability of all the needed sensitive materials needed for the election.

He explained that the commission would be adopting simultaneous accreditation and voting process in which voters would go to their polling units with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by 8am on the election date.

While disclosing that the process would be completed by 4pm that day at the Polling Unit and 6pm at the Registration Areas /Ward and the local government areas, Dafwang stated that collation of votes would commence immediately after voting is completed.

He, however, appealed to the contestants, key stakeholders, opinion leaders, party supporters and voters to adhere to the rules of the game as stipulated in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Acts 2010 as amended.

"We plead that political campaigns should be devoid of hate speeches and violence which should transcend to the Election Day and thereafter. We should be 'ballots without bullets' because that is the only way the electoral process can succeed," he said.